Tag Archives: Elmer Ellsworth

Nothing says Holiday Cheer like an indoor fir tree filled with armaments of war. Or commanded by war leaders. Or bedecked in battle flags. Nothing, I tell you. And it can all be yours with some carefree shopping on your … Continue reading →

At this point in the sesquicentennial celebration of the American Civil War–mid-1864– historians and buffs are thinking about casualty numbers in the hundreds of thousands, often tens of thousands per battle. Was Union General Ulysses S. Grant a butcher to … Continue reading →

Also in 1859, young Elmer Ellsworth became captain of a moribund militia company, the National Guard Cadets of Chicago, Illinois. Ellsworth had developed a statewide reputation as a drillmaster, and agreed to take on the challenge of rebuilding this group … Continue reading →

Current historiography claims that voluntary state militias were a joke as to their degree of real military preparedness. Further, these militias and their elected officers were often considered detrimental to the formation of both the Federal and Confederate armies in … Continue reading →

I was on the list at Amazon for immediate delivery of Lincoln’s Boys: John Hay, John Nicolay, and the War for Lincoln’s Image when publication occurred, and to say I was excited is an understatement. John Hay and John George … Continue reading →

In my ongoing search for all things related to John Hay, George Nicolay, and Elmer Ellsworth, I read this book with positive enthusiasm and delight. I think it was written with the same feelings. Taliaferro’s brilliant biography of John Hay … Continue reading →

The main reason this series has taken so long is that I knew there should be a Lincoln biography on the list. Which one, however, is a huge decision. I could go classical with Sandburg’s 3-volume set (referred to as … Continue reading →

The third book, or books, every Civil War buff needs on the bookshelf is a good set of maps. These are invaluable–nothing less. They give form to the function of a campaign or battle and, depending on your choices, can … Continue reading →

It’s that time of year again, and it is my ECW Anniversary. A little over a year ago I found Emerging Civil War on line. I noticed they didn’t have much (nothing!) about Elmer Ellsworth, so I mentioned that I … Continue reading →